The-papacy-its-history-dogmas-genius-and-prospects-wylie

S02BAPTISM AND CONFIRMATION.into Christ ; it stamps with an ineffaceable character ; andit constitutes the person an heir of heaven.*Next in order to baptism comes the sacrament of confirmation.Baptism is the spiritual birth ; but the RomanCatholic Church, like a tender mother, desires and delightsto see her children wax in stature and in strength; and thisthey do mainly through the mystic influence of confirmation,in which the grace of baptism is perfected. By baptismthey become Christians ; by confirmation they become strongChristians. The one is the gate by which they enter theChristian state ;the other clothes them with the armour ofa Christian soldier.-f- None are to be confirmed till theyhave attained at least the age of seven years.Its rites aresimpler than those of baptism, but they are equally withoutwarrant in Scripture, and therefore equally superstitious.This rite is to be administered by a bishop, who, making thesign of the cross upon the forehead of the person withchrism, compounded of oil and balsam, says, " I confirmthee, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of theHoly Ghost." He next slaps the person on the cheek, tosignify that, as a soldier of the cross, he must be preparedbravely to endure hardships ; and, lastly, he bestows the kissof peace, to denote the impartation of that " peace thatpasseth all understanding."" With the chrism the personenjoys a mystic anointing. He is no longer a child ; he isnow a perfect man, equipped for performing the labours andfio-hting the battles of the Church. In this sacrament theIloman Catholic Church holds that the seven gifts of theSpirit are bestowed.These gifts are,—wisdom, understanding,counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and the fear of theLord.Like baptism, the sacrament of confirmation confersan ineff*aceable character, and is never to be repeated, j* Cat. Rom. pars ii. cap. ii. s. xxxi.-xlv. : Perrone's PrsBlectiones Theological,torn. ii. p. 116, et seq.+ Perrone's Prselectiones Theologicae, torn. ii. p. 130.J Cat. Rom. pars ii. cap. iii.,—De Confirmationis Sacramento : Theol.!Mor. et Dog. Petri Dens, torn, v.,—Tractatus de Sacramento Confirmationis; Dutler's Cat. lesson xxv.